I recently watched a period drama set in Cornwall in the 1780s which made for compelling viewing. Although the programmes were serious, in that they reflected the grinding poverty of the age and the injustice of the courts, there were humorous moments. One of the characters, Jud, had a saying when he came across a situation that was not to his liking (which was often) - "t'int right, t'int fair, t'int proper".
As I was reading Romans chapter 9 recently I came across verse 18 which reads as follows: "therefore He (God) has mercy on whom He will have mercy and whom He will He hardens". This is referring to the fact that it is God who gives people the desire to repent of their sins and believe on Christ for salvation. The fact that He draws some and not others is taught in such verses as John chapter 6 verses 37, 44 and 65.
Moreover John chapter 3 has Jesus teaching that just as the wind blows where it wishes, so the Holy Spirit blows where He wishes into people's lives and makes them regenerate (born again).
At first glance this verse may seem unfair; I can imagine this Jud character coming up with his usual "t'int-ing" as he reads this (or as it's read to him) but one needs to keep this whole "fairness" business in context.
What is fairness? If a person is on death row the Governor of the state is not obliged to pardon him from the death penalty, he is not being unfair if he does not do so. In a similar way God does not owe us salvation; if we could prove God owes us salvation, then it would be grossly unfair to teach that He grants the desire to repent to some, and not others. However, we cannot prove such for one simple reason - He doesn't owe salvation to any of us; he owes us justice and that justice demands that we are all damned for eternity.
The fact that God shows us mercy is a testament to His kindness. He doesn't damn us all, even though we deserve it. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins and rise again to be our Saviour. Then, not content with "simply" sending His Son (to be the Saviour of the world - 1st John 4 v 14). He sends the Holy Spirit to us to ensure that we respond to the message. Left to ourselves we would never come to repentance and faith in Christ, our hearts are too hard and we are love our sins too much. However, when the Holy Spirit comes upon us and "quickens" us we are moved to respond as we should do.
What should be our response to this matter? When we come across such verses as Romans 9 v 18 we should rejoice that God has shown us mercy. If we have truly repented of our sins and received Christ we should praise God from the bottom of our hearts that He moved us to do so.
We should also respond to such verses by re-doubling our efforts to evangelise the lost. If God has truly given a people to Christ (as John 6 v 37 tells us) then we are on the wiunning side. We have a cause that cannot fail for one simple reason - if God is drawing someone then they WILL believe.
Monday, 19 October 2015
Thursday, 1 October 2015
The sovereingty of God in Judson's conversion.
Adoniram Judson was an American missionary to Burma in the 19th century and faithfully preached the Gospel for many years. His life is quite famous as he was one of the first people to go to that country with the Gospel and his work of Bible translation is still bearing fruit today.
However, what is not so well known is the circumstances which led to him coming to know Christ as his personal Saviour. He was born in 1788 and raised in a Christian family, leaving home to go to college in the early 1800s. While at college he fell into the company of one Jacob Eames who quickly turned him away from any belief in the Bible as the Word of God, and Christ as the Son of God. After returning home, and having a huge row with his parents over his unbelief, Judson left home again and travelled widely.
To cut a long story short he found himself at an Inn (an old fashioned named for a hotel - of sorts!) and asked for a room for the night. The proprietor advised him that there was only 1 room available, next door to a man who was dying - "there may be some noise from the adjoining room, but if you can put up with that the room's yours for the night". As Judson was dog tired he gladly accepted the offer and, after a short time being concerned for the fate of his neighbour, he fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning dawned bright and sunny and Judson went downstairs to pay his bill. "What happened to the man in the next room" he asked the proprietor. "Oh, he died" came the reply. When Judson asked his name the reply cut him to the heart - "Jacob Eames".
The man who turned Judson's heart away from Christ and the Bible was the man who was ushered into eternity, in the very next room! This was so obviously a working of God's providence that Judson was moved to give serious consideration to his own soul and, in the process of time, he came to repentance and faith in Christ as his own personal Saviour.
What does this true account of Judson's conversion tell us? It tells us that if God has a person in His sights for conversion then He will so order events that that person WILL come to repentance and faith in Christ.
In John 6 v 37 Jesus said that all people given to Him by His Father WILL come to Him, not one will fail to do so. Moreover, in Job 42 v 2 we are told that no purpose of God can ever be thwarted. Putting these simple truths together we can confidently assert that God IS sovereign in the affairs of people and will get His way, why? - because He is God and He is in control.
This simple fact is a great encouragement to me as I pass out Gospel tracts and point people to Christ. If any of those passing by have been given to Christ, then no matter how much they resist Him they will come.
To put it another way - if God is drawing someone, then he, or she. will believe. "No one can come to me, unless the father, who sent me, draws him." John 6 v 44.
However, what is not so well known is the circumstances which led to him coming to know Christ as his personal Saviour. He was born in 1788 and raised in a Christian family, leaving home to go to college in the early 1800s. While at college he fell into the company of one Jacob Eames who quickly turned him away from any belief in the Bible as the Word of God, and Christ as the Son of God. After returning home, and having a huge row with his parents over his unbelief, Judson left home again and travelled widely.
To cut a long story short he found himself at an Inn (an old fashioned named for a hotel - of sorts!) and asked for a room for the night. The proprietor advised him that there was only 1 room available, next door to a man who was dying - "there may be some noise from the adjoining room, but if you can put up with that the room's yours for the night". As Judson was dog tired he gladly accepted the offer and, after a short time being concerned for the fate of his neighbour, he fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning dawned bright and sunny and Judson went downstairs to pay his bill. "What happened to the man in the next room" he asked the proprietor. "Oh, he died" came the reply. When Judson asked his name the reply cut him to the heart - "Jacob Eames".
The man who turned Judson's heart away from Christ and the Bible was the man who was ushered into eternity, in the very next room! This was so obviously a working of God's providence that Judson was moved to give serious consideration to his own soul and, in the process of time, he came to repentance and faith in Christ as his own personal Saviour.
What does this true account of Judson's conversion tell us? It tells us that if God has a person in His sights for conversion then He will so order events that that person WILL come to repentance and faith in Christ.
In John 6 v 37 Jesus said that all people given to Him by His Father WILL come to Him, not one will fail to do so. Moreover, in Job 42 v 2 we are told that no purpose of God can ever be thwarted. Putting these simple truths together we can confidently assert that God IS sovereign in the affairs of people and will get His way, why? - because He is God and He is in control.
This simple fact is a great encouragement to me as I pass out Gospel tracts and point people to Christ. If any of those passing by have been given to Christ, then no matter how much they resist Him they will come.
To put it another way - if God is drawing someone, then he, or she. will believe. "No one can come to me, unless the father, who sent me, draws him." John 6 v 44.
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